The WNBA is gearing up for the 2026 season, which will feature two brand-new franchises: the Portland Fire and the Toronto Tempo. Following successful negotiations between the league and the players' association, which secured significant revenue sharing for players, attention now shifts to roster building.

Key Dates Leading to the 2026 Season

With collective bargaining complete, the league must finalize details before the regular season commences on May 8. Two crucial events are scheduled in the coming weeks: the expansion draft and the annual college draft.

The WNBA Expansion Draft Schedule

The official expansion draft for the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo is slated for Friday, April 3, at 3:30 p.m. ET. This draft will allow the two new teams to acquire foundational players from the existing league rosters.

Draft Order Determination

The order of selection will be determined by a coin toss between the Tempo and the Fire. The winner of this toss will secure a critical advantage.

  • The team winning the coin toss will receive either the first pick in the expansion draft or the sixth pick in the first round of the college draft on Monday, April 13.

Expansion Draft Mechanics

The expansion draft will proceed across two rounds, utilizing a snake-draft format. This means the team that holds the first pick in the initial round will automatically receive the second pick in the second round.

Player Protection and Selection Limits

Each of the 13 existing WNBA teams is required to designate up to five players as "protected," shielding them from selection by Portland or Toronto. This measure is intended to prevent any single existing team from losing too many key players.

The draft will feature a maximum of 12 total picks, with both new teams alternating selections. Crucially, no more than one player can be drafted from any single existing team per round, limiting total losses from any one franchise to just two players.

Handling Free Agents in the Draft

The rules address the selection of players who are approaching free agency. If a new team selects a player who is an upcoming free agent, the selecting team inherits the existing team's rights to that player, according to the WNBA's official release.

However, there is a restriction: the Fire and Tempo can only select a maximum of one player who is an unrestricted free agent during the entire draft process.

College Draft Implications

The expansion teams will also participate in the annual college draft scheduled for April 13. Their placement in this draft is directly linked to the outcome of the coin toss.

The team that secures the sixth pick in the first round of the college draft will also hold the seventh pick in the second round and the sixth pick in the third round. Conversely, the team that receives the seventh pick in the first round will have corresponding alternating picks in subsequent rounds, as detailed in the WNBA press release.